sloan



UNrrn S A'IES nr orare,

WM. D. SLOAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO A. B. CHAPMAN, OF SAMEPLACE.

CLASP FOR SKELETON SKIRTS.

Speccaton of Letters Patent No. 25,870, dated October 18, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM DAVID SLOAN, of the city, county, and Stateof New York, have invented, made, and applied to use al certain new anduseful Improvement in Clasps for Ladies Skeleton Skirts; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe construction and operation of the same, reference being had to theannexed drawing, making part of this specification, wherein- Figure l isa side elevation and Fig. 2 is a cross section of my said slide as inuse and in larger size to more clearly represent the improvement.

Similar characters denote the same parts.

In fastening the tapes or galloons to the hoops of ladies skirts metalclasps have heretofore been used in a. variety of forms. Some have beenprovided with teeth along their' edges, or perforat-ions in the clasp,others with a wide body lapping over the edge of thehoop; in all theseinstances the galloons are speedily cut out by such clasps, because themotion in walking and sitting down, added to the weight of the skirtcauses the teeth on the clasps to penetrate and wear out the `galloons.This is also the case with those clasps where the hoop is in the backpiece of the clasp, because the edges thereof cut the tape under themot-ion of the parts.

The nature of my said invention consists in a clasp having a narrow backpiece of less width than the hoop, and a groove or channel bent therein,so that the edges of the V shaped piece of metal thus formed compressthe tapes onto the fibrous covering of the hoops with a suflicient forceto effectually hold them in place, and the V shaped bend so effectuallystiffens the metal that no liability of bending exists under thesecircumstances; besides this the clasp contains less metal than anyother, which is a great consideration in lessening weight where a largenumber of hoops are used in a skirt, and the liability of cutting thetapes or galloons by the constant motion, or by penetrating points isentirely removed.

In the drawing a, is one of the hoops and b, is a tape or galloonintersecting or crossing the hoop at right angles or nearly so at anypoint in the skirt, and the hoop and galloon may be of any desired sizeor material, and the hoop is to be covered with a woven or fibroussubstance.

c, is the clasp of suitable metal formed with the end pieces 1, 1, to bebent around the hoop, and with the back piece 2, that is of a narrowerwidth than the hoop, and hence when the ends 1, 1, are bent to the hoopthis narrow back confines the galloon to the hoop but is not liable tocut the galloon because of being narrower in width the galloon takesagainst the covering of the hoop instead of wearing against the edge ofthe clasp; however if this narrow back alone were used the metal wouldbecome bent from the hoop and the galloon loose. I therefore bend themetal with a rib or V shape that makes a very stiff clasp, and alsocauses the edges of the metal to press upon the tape and hold it to thecovering of the hoop.

Having thus described my said invention I do not claim bending metal ina V shape for obtaining rigidity, but I know of no previous instance inwhich clasps for uniting the tapes or galloons of ladies7 skeletonskirts have been formed with a grooved or bent back piece (2) ofnarrower width than the hoop, whereby a much lighter clasp, a strongerone for the same quantity of metal, and one that will wear much longerwithout injury or cutting the tapes or galloons, as set forth, isobtained, while at the same time the tapes are prevented from slippingby the edges of the V shaped piece.

Vhat I claim as my invention and desire tov secure by Letters Patentisrlhe clasp c, for uniting the tapes or galloons to the hoops inskeleton skirts, said clasp being formed with al narrow ribbed or Vshaped back piece (2) for the purposes and as specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this nineteenth dayof September 1859.

wM. DAVID sLoAN.

Witnesses:

L. CHAPMAN, W. J. RAGLAND.

